Caraïbes au départ de Miami

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

Le reggae, le rhum, les belles plages, la cuisine épicée et la campagne verdoyante attirent depuis longtemps les visiteurs en Jamaïque et notamment dans la ville de Falmouth, l’une des villes géorgiennes les mieux préservées des Caraïbes, située sur la côte nord de l’île.

Lors d’une croisière MSC Caraïbes et Antilles à Falmouth, vous aurez l’occasion d’observer comment les plus anciens bâtiments du centre-ville à savoir la tour de l’horloge, le marché victorien, le palais de justice et la Vermont House, tous datant de la fin du 18ème et du début du 19ème siècle, contrastent avec le port récemment construit.

À l’époque coloniale, Falmouth était un port florissant. Les navires chargés de sucre et de rhum faisaient route vers la Grande-Bretagne et revenaient avec des esclaves d’Afrique. Aujourd’hui, Falmouth est devenue célèbre pour les différentes variétés de rhum produites dans les distilleries disséminées dans la ville.

Pour avoir un aperçu de la vie dans les plantations, et goûter au rhum par la même occasion, participez à une excursion MSC au domaine de Good Hope, avec son impressionnante Grande Maison et son village colonial. Créé au milieu des années 1700 pour servir de plantation de sucre, le domaine s’étend sur un total de 809 hectares et abrite plusieurs bâtiments, dont la plupart ont été restaurés avec amour pour retrouver leur gloire d’antan.

Vous pouvez également allier la nature et l’histoire lors d’un voyage relaxant en bambou rafting guidé le long du fleuve Martha Brae, en passant devant des groupes de bambous et de fougères qui murmurent tout au long du voyage de 5 km. Au cours de cette excursion MSC, vous visiterez l’église anglicane de Saint-Pierre, l’une des plus anciennes et des plus grandes de Jamaïque, avant de rejoindre le charmant village de Martha Brae. Il a été fondé par un propriétaire de plantation en 1762 lorsqu’il a isolé une partie de son domaine.

Après Falmouth, partez en excursion à Ocho Rios et aux chutes de Dunn’s River, où vous serez guidé jusqu’aux chutes de 183 mètres pour une expérience mémorable. Vous pouvez également emprunter un télésiège qui vous emmènera à travers la canopée de la forêt tropicale pour une course de bobsleigh exaltante, pleine de rebondissements, jusqu’en bas de la montagne.

Pour les amateurs d’équitation, montez à cru dans la mer des Caraïbes lors d’une excursion MSC qui vous emmène le long du littoral jamaïcain avant de plonger dans l’eau pour une baignade rafraîchissante avec votre cheval.

Cobbled streets, balconies overflowing with blooming bougainvillea and pastel-coloured buildings lining elegant plazas make Cartagena in Colombia one of the Caribbean’s most photogenic cities, and a memorable stop on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise.

Founded in 1533, this Spanish colonial city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is steeped in history. Its location made it a popular target for plunderers and English pirates, and arguably features the most impressive collection of forts in the Caribbean. Today the city is eager to share its treasures with modern visitors. Magnificent colonial structures such as the 16th-century Santa Catalina Cathedral, with its striking stuccoes and dome tower, and the three-arch clock gate, the Torre del Reloj, are just two of the many landmarks of this enchanting city dotted with many squares and sidewalk cafés.

A wonderful photo stop on our Cartagena City MSC excursion is the San Felipe de Barajas fortress, a marvel of colonial Spanish military engineering. Its construction began in 1536. Slaves la-boured for more than 120 years to erect this fortress – built on high ground with dominating ap-proaches to the city by land and sea to fend off pirates – and its network of tunnels.

On yet another MSC excursion, enrich your palate as you learn about the rich aromas and flavours of Colombian coffee. Introduced by the Jesuits in 1723, coffee quickly became a key crop in Colombia, which is now one of the top producers of Arabica coffee in the world.

Colombia is also the world’s top producer of emeralds. If jewellery and gems fascinate you, learn all about these green precious stones and make your own emerald-studded jewellery in sterling silver during a hands-on MSC excursion that guides you step-by-step.

And you don’t need to go far to explore nature. An MSC excursion takes you by canoe through mangrove tunnels to Ciénaga de la Virgen, where you can witness a diversity of birds from king-fishers and white herons to pelicans and pink-feathered roseate spoonbills.

Panama is synonymous with the Panama Canal. While Panama connects Central America to South America, the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. The channel reduces shipping time and currently connects 160 countries and 1,700 ports around the world. Hailed as an engineering marvel, the artificial waterway with its elaborate lock system is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century.

Arriving on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise into Colón, Panama’s gateway city, you’ll encounter the irresistible juxtaposition of the ancient and modern, the artificial and natural, as enormous computerized container ships transiting the canal slice through primeval rainforests teeming with fluorescent frogs and elusive wild cats.
Book an MSC excursion to hop on a ferry that will take you along the length of the Panama Canal, through lakes and locks and past the Centennial and Americas bridges. Finally, you will arrive at Pacific port at the entrance to the Panama Canal, and then enjoy a 90-minute bus ride back to your ship.

Not far from the ceaseless activity on the canal lies untamed nature. Take a guided eco-cruise on Gatún Lake, surrounded by rainforest. Gatún, created in 1913 to fill the fertile valley of the Chagres River, is the world’s largest artificial lake, and an integral part of the dam and canal. Catch glimpses of exotic birds, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, crocodiles and more. Following your lake cruise, go on a rainforest walk and follow the eco-trail that surrounds the lake.
Head off the beaten path on an MSC excursion to explore the world of the Emberá people, located only half an hour by dugout up the Chagres River. Emberá villagers, who live much as they did when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, will welcome you in traditional dress, with dances, music and their artefacts: baskets, jewellery and the cocobolo, a small sculpture made from a special kind of wood.

The Colón cruise also gives you the opportunity to discover bustling Panama City, the country’s capital, with its pleasant blend of modern and colonial architecture. Enjoy a scenic visit to Panama City’s cobblestoned historic centre, Casco Viejo, or the Colonial City, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Founded in 1673, the Casco Viejo, or Casco Antiguo as it is also called, was built following the near-total destruction of the original Panama City two years earlier, when it was attacked by an Englishman, Captain Henry Morgan. The Casco Antiguo brims with historical buildings, including a cathedral and national theatre, a French monument to the 22,000 workers who died building the Panama Canal, and the fabulous Las Bóvedas walkway. The tour also includes a quick visit to Agua Claras Locks (Expansion Centre) to see how the Panama Canal operates.

Autrefois connu comme le principal port de la côte atlantique, aujourd’hui Puerto Limon, situé à 165 km à l’est de San José, a un air un peu négligé. Il y a eu peu d’activité sur le port depuis que les bateaux de bananes commencèrent à être chargés à Moín, à 8 km au dessus du cap en direction de Tortuguero. Peu peuplée, la province de Limón s’étend en arc de cercle du sud du Nicaragua jusqu’au Panama. Enclavée au nord par des jungles denses et des cours d’eau marécageux, à l’ouest par la puissante Cordillère centrale et au sud par la sangle encore plus large de la Cordillère de Talamanca, la province de Limón peut paraitre un lieu perdu, au bout du monde. Ici vous pourrez observer les douces tortues de mer géantes pondre leurs œufs sur les plages de Tortuguero balayées par les vagues, admirer les récifs coralliens en plongée avec tuba à Cahuita, surfer à Puerto Viejo, dériver le long du canal de la jungle de Tortuguero à la Barra del Colorado, une destination majeure pour pratiquer la pêche sportive, ou essayez le repérages d’animaux et d’oiseaux dans les nombreux mangroves.

A seafaring culture
Setting foot on Isla de Roatán, off the coast of Honduras, is like entering an incredible work of art where the mountainous lush green junglescape meets the glorious blue sea, and deep coves hide pirates of the past. Roatán, after all, was at one point home to more than 5,000 pirates.

Largely untouched, Roatán is known for its barrier reef, fishing and diving cultures. The island offers easy access to beautiful beaches and its coral reef, a sanctuary for snorkelers and divers exploring the bounty of its marine life.

You’ll arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise into Coxen Hole, the capital of the island, aptly named after the pirate who anchored his ship here at the end of the 17th century.

Head off the beaten track to explore the picturesque fishing villages of Punta Gorda, with its Garifuna people, descendants of island Caribs and African slaves, and Oak Ridge, a village on stilts only accessible by boat. Here in an exclusive Martha Stewart excursion curated for MSC, you’ll learn about the local fishing culture, taste local delicacies and explore the island’s waterways and mangroves.

For something more adventurous, book one of several MSC excursions that will have you darting across suspension bridges, zip lining through jungle canopy and mingling with monkeys, toucans, parrots and many other birds that inhabit the local forests.

Seeking more vibes? Head to popular West Bay for excellent cocktails, beautiful beaches, shopping and entertainment that livens the atmosphere in the rhythm of Caribbean music.

Nature made it Beautiful, we made it Unique
Discover our new and exclusive Bahamian destination: Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Here you can spend a one-of-a-kind experience on an authentic Caribbean Marine Reserve, while connecting with the natural world, feeling the warmth of the Bahamian spirit and immersing in an eco-friendly environment.
On Ocean Cay you can enjoy a relaxing massage in a cabana, discover the beauty of the sea and explore the area with dedicated excursions.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.

Saint-Thomas est la plus fréquentée des trois îles Vierges américaines. Avec 28 miles carrés (45 kms²) de collines verdoyantes et de plages de sable fin, St. Thomas et l’île voisine de Saint-Jean reçoivent près de 1,7 million de visiteurs par an. Elle est la deuxième plus grande et la plus sophistiquée des îles Vierges de par une forte influence danoise particulièrement visible à Charlotte Amalie, ville principale et capitale. Initialement appelé Taphaus, ou Tap House, elle porte désormais le nom d’une ancienne reine du Danemark. Les sites historiques de l’île ne doivent pas être négligés. Son histoire mouvementée remonte au moins à plusieurs milliers d’années. Les premiers Indiens disparurent lors de la colonisation de St. Thomas par les Danois durant laquelle ils laissèrent leur marque à bien des égards.

Si vous avez la chance de faire une croisière dans les Caraïbes avec MSC Croisières à bord de l’un de nos paquebots de luxe, votre navire fera probablement escale sur l’île paradisiaque de Saint-Christophe.

Situées dans les Caraïbes, Saint-Christophe et l’île de Niévès, constituent la nation de ‘Saint-Christophe-et-Niévès’. La capitale de la nation aux deux îles, qui est également son plus grand port, est la ville de Basseterre.

Les Français et les Néerlandais revendiquent l’île de Saint-Martin. Les autorités signèrent un traité en 1648 qui divisa l’île entre ces deux pays, bien que les deux côtés aient des caractéristiques culturelles différentes. Mais ce sont ces distinctions qui font la grâce de ce refuge des Caraïbes, qui vient s’ajouter au charme de certains des plus délicieux plats de sa cuisine réputée dans le monde entier. Entre la Grande Baie et le bassin de Great Salt, la capitale hollandaise Philipsburg occupe une petite étendue de terre, et deux rues principales, Front Street et Back Street qui traversent la ville. Front Street est l’artère principale, mettant en vedette l’architecture traditionnelle antillaise et ses boutiques de duty free ainsi que des marchandises importées et de l’artisanat autochtone.

“One beach a day,” Antigua’s motto, refers to the island’s 365 beautiful beaches that are famous, secret or even set in volcanic craters. There’s a beach for every lifestyle, for those who are social and ones who seek solitude.

When you arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise in the port of St. John’s, the capital and commercial centre of Antigua and Barbuda, embrace the city’s colourfully vi-brant houses dating to its British colonial period, along with the evocative white baroque towers of St. John’s Cathedral, and the Fort James and Barrington fortresses. The laid-back cosmopolitan city, with its distinctly British flair, is renowned for its shopping at luxury boutiques and high-end shopping malls.

Beyond the city, book an MSC excursion to the historic Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbour, dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was stationed in the West Indies be-tween 1784 and 1787. The shipyard, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest of Antigua’s National Parks and still remains a working dockyard for numerous yachts and ships. Beautifully restored, its Georgian buildings in wood and stone date to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Between April and the beginning of May, the Dockyard is the venue for some of the most important sailing regattas in the world, such as Antigua Sailing Week. The excursion continues on to visit the landmark ruins at Shirley Heights of-fering breath-taking vistas of English Harbour.

If an excursion in nature appeals to you, head to Stingray City to swim with friendly southern stingrays in crystal-clear water. Or discover Antigua’s lush rainforest from a bird’s-eye perspective as you navigate through the treetops on a guided canopy tour that will have you walking over a suspension bridge and traversing zip lines over a spectacular gorge.

Blessed with some of the oldest buildings in the Western Hemisphere, San Juan, Puerto Rico’s cap-ital, is romantically charming with its bright pastel Spanish colonial facades, wrought-iron balconies abloom with flowers, narrow cobblestone streets and beloved park squares. Once you arrive on an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise at the port, explore Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan), a UNESCO World Heritage district, widely renowned for the fortresses of Castillo San Felipe del Morro and the Castillo San Cristóbal.

The old town occupies the headland of a 2.5-mile-long island (connected by bridge to the mainland) that shelters San Juan Bay, for centuries a key port in the New World. It was originally known as Puerto Rico, or “rich port,” because its location made it the perfect stop for shipping.

Several MSC excursions offer walking tours that let you soak up amazing views of San Juan, while making cultural discoveries of a lifetime. Wander through the old town along the Paseo de la Princesa, San Juan’s oldest tree-lined avenue; head up its southern city wall, La Muralla, which until the late 19th century encircled all of Old San Juan with sandstone; and tour the 16th-century fortress of El Morro, with its six different lines of defence.

Take a coffee-tasting walking tour to explore Puerto Rico’s rich coffee culture, and learn how the island’s rich volcanic soil and climate have contributed to the rise of coffee as one of its main crops. Taste a delicious cup of freshly brewed Puerto Rican café con leche, learn about the island’s historical ties with the caffeine-rich beverage, and explore how coffee and the church are connected on this MSC excursion through the streets of Old San Juan.

Or savour San Juan’s culinary delights, in a Martha Stewart excursion curated exclusively for MSC that will have you tasting local cuisine and drinks at five destinations along the route through the fortified colonial city. From Puerto Rican fritters at historic El Convento Hotel, to chocolate tasting at a fourth-generation chocolatier, you won’t want to miss this tour, which ends at La Casita de Rones for a rum lesson and a piña colada, the national drink of Puerto Rico.

With more than 80% of the world’s rum coming from Puerto Rico, delve deeper into the spirit on an MSC excursion to Casa Bacardí in the town of Cataño. Discover the story behind Bacardí’s legendary cocktails, sniff the products on display and learn about the rum-making process including wood barrelling, ageing and finishing. For the grand finale, enjoy a fascinating mixology show.

Nature lovers will not want to miss a visit to El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. territory and one of Puerto Rico’s finest spots of natural beauty. Marvel at its small horsetail waterfalls, giant ferns and tropical hardwoods.

For an enchanting experience, kayak into the enchanting bioluminescent bay at Laguna Grande of Fajardo on another MSC excursion. Under the blanket of the night sky and the lighthouse of Fajardo, paddle through the water and watch it glow with the bioluminescence of millions and millions of tiny organisms.

San Felipe de Puerto Plata est la capitale de la province de Puerto Plata, sur la côte nord atlantique de la République dominicaine. La ville est surtout connue pour ses plages. Le long front de mer de Playa Dorada est bordé de stations balnéaires et d’un terrain de golf de 18 trous. Le vieux centre de la ville, qui date de l’époque coloniale, est dominé par la Fortaleza San Felipe, une forteresse espagnole du 16ème siècle qui abrite aujourd’hui des objets historiques et militaires.

Miami is called the gateway to the Americas, and it’s indeed a very glamourous global city to explore at the start or end of an MSC Caribbean and Antilles cruise. Home to many cultures, the city of Miami sizzles with flavours from the Americas, beginning with Cuba and the Little Havana neighbourhood – one of the most historically significant places, while Wynwood is famous for its wall art and Puerto Rican history.

Across Biscayne Bay lies the city of Miami Beach, home to the world-famous South Beach. An MSC-arranged guided private tour opens up a world of possibilities for you: enjoy the beach, take in the city’s Art Deco architecture and enjoy a drink on legendary Ocean Drive, where you can people watch, and perhaps spot a celebrity. If time permits, take a stroll on artsy Lincoln Road packed with street side cafes and shops.

Facing the MSC Cruises port in downtown Miami is Bayside Marketplace – a lively commercial centre that is a staging area for boat tours of Miami. Seeing the city from the water, with its impressive skyline and waterfront mansions, is an experience in itself. The downtown area also boasts the dazzling Performing Arts Centre, the Museum of Science, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (known as the PAMM), scenic Bayfront Park and the arena where the 3-time NBA champion Miami Heat basketball team plays.

Miami is renowned for its shopping. Hop on a tour to see the major city sights followed by retail therapy at one of Miami’s largest and newest shopping malls: Dolphin Mall. With more than 240 retail outlets, you’re bound to need a bit of room in your luggage for your purchases. Luckily, there are several luggage stores at the mall to fill that need.
Head west past the city into untamed wilderness on an MSC excursion into the Everglades. At this national park where water is the central feature, unlike any other in North America, nature enthusiasts can hop on an airboat tour through the swampland and waterways to spot alligators and a variety of birds.